Basdeo Shawn Sookhai, Kim Meyer-Gabia and Keith Adamik
Keith Adamik has been a consistent top 10 finisher on the Tri-State Tour for a few years now. He finished the 2011-2012 season as the # 2-ranked player in the A/A+ class, 15 points behind Daniel Dagotdot that year, but until this past Saturday (July 20), a victory on the tour had eluded him. As it played out, it looked as though it might elude him again, as Stewart Warnock shut him out in the opening round of play. Adamik came back from that defeat to win nine on the loss side, then meet and defeat hot seat occupant Basdeo Sookhai to claim his first Tri-State Tour title. The $1,500-added event, the first of the Tri-State Tour's 2013-2014 season, drew 38 entrants to Gotham City Billiards in Brooklyn, NY.
With Adamik busy on the loss side, Sookhai and Kim Meyer-Gabia were advancing to meet in the battle for the hot seat. In one of the winners' side semifinals, Sookhai sent Lidio Ramirez to the loss side as Meyer-Gabia sent Tony Ignomirello over; both by scores of 7-4. Sookhai moved into the hot seat with a 7-3 win over Meyer-Gabia.
Adamik survived his one and only double hill fight, defeating Ramirez, as Toomey advanced to meet him in the quarterfinals with a 6-1 victory over Ignomirello. Adamik then dropped Toomey into fourth place 9-6 and spoiled Meyer-Gabia's bid to get back to the finals with an 8-6 win over her in the semifinals.
In the final match, Adamik and Sookhai got things underway by trading racks back and forth to a 3-3 tie; Adamik taking his first lead at 3-2. At the tie, however, it was over. Adamik chalked up six straight to win the match and claim his first Tri-State title.
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Gotham City Billiards, along with sponsors Sterling-Gaming, Ozone Billiards, Qpod, Heptig Cues, Steve Dunkle Cues, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, and Human Kinetics. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour is scheduled for July 28 at Clifton Billiards in Clifton, NJ.
The sixteenth annual Tri-State Tour Invitational Tournament took place July 6 & 7, 2013, at Castle Billiards in East Rutherford, NJ. The weekend was a huge success for the tour with 16 A & A+ Players, 32 B & B+ Players, 32 C & C+ Players and 16 D & D+ Players who earned their way in to compete in their respective classes and play for their chance to be named the Tri-State Tour Invitational Grand Champion. Castle Billiards hosted the event for the fourth year. Castle Billiards owners John & Minnie Trobiano were again very professional, helpful and gracious. They donated their room and all the table time. Their generosity and support to the players and the event never dwindles and is always done with the players in mind. They are people who are genuinely into the game and the players; enough positive and complimentary things cannot be said about John, Minnie, and their staff.
As each day began, organizers John Leyman, Todd Fleitman & Rick Shellhouse congratulated the players on reaching the top of their classes for the season and handed out awards to the top players of the year in each class. The Tri-State Tour added $4000 in cash prizes and the sponsors QPOD, Dunkel Custom Cues, KH Custom Cues, Ozone Billiards, Fury Cues, Kamui Tips, Sterling Gaming, Capelle’s Pool Books, Billiards Digest, Pool & Billiards, Inside Pool, Professor-Q-Ball’s News, Blue Book Publications, Castle Billiards, Amsterdam Billiards, NYCGrind and Romer’s Trophies went out of their way to provide the event with some great equipment and prizes. The sponsors are owed a debt a gratitude for their dedication to the game and the players, their efforts and generosity are what made the event so special and such a great success and without their continued support of the sport and the players this event could not happen.
Awards were presented to the top 3 players in each class, to the Most Improved Player of the Year, and Sportsman of the Year. The the most improved player went to Thomas Rice whose game gets stronger each day with the help of lessons from such legendary players as Earl Stickland. Thomas is only 15 and is improving every day, one day soon he will be playing with the best in the world. Each year the tour awards one player the “Sportsperson of the Year” award. It is awarded to someone the tour believes exemplifies what a player should be and how they should act and this year’s award went to Dave Shlemperis. This year the Tri-State Tour announced that they would be starting a virtual Hall of Fame that will become part of their website. The new Hall of Fame page is still under construction and plans are in effect to debut it this fall. At the Invitational two players were inducted into the Hall of Fame. Dawn Hopkins who started it all back in the late 80’s as the “All About Pool Tour” and Daniel Cintron for his accomplishments on the tour, dedication and help to the tour throughout the years. Plans are also in effect to induct two more players who during the history of the tour their names and accomplishments became synonymous with the tour and they will be revealed in the near future.
The top players of the year in the their respective classes were Koka Davladze winning the A+/A class, Gary Murgia B+ player, Dave Shlemperis B player, Thomas Rice C player and Mike Davie returning to once again be crowned D+/D class player of the year. The Ladies Player of the Year was Yomaylin Feliz. In one of our most heated battles for player of the year Eddie Perez came in first only slightly edging out runner up and 2 time C class winner Tony Ignomirello by 10 points for the C+ player of the year. For a full list of winners for all the classes and events, please see the web site www.thetristatetour.com.
The action in the tournament got going around eleven on Saturday morning, July 6 with the B+ and B class players along with the D+/D players kicking off the event. The B+ class saw two players dominate the event and meet each other in the hot seat match, room owner John Trobiano and Ricardo Mejia. Ricardo played strong and won the match on the hill. John moved to the one loss side where he played Steve Kaminow. John even though working 21 hours the day before preparing the room for the event could not be denied and won the match 7-0 and went on to the finals for a rematch with Ricardo. In the finals, the two combatants again played very well but John came out on top at 9-6. The B Class event paralleled the B+ class with Chris Peralta sending Mike Zimny to the one loss side after winning the hot seat match 7-1. Mike then beat Paul Spaanstra 7-5 and moved on to the finals. Playing a much different match this time against Chris, Mike won the match 7-4.
The D+/D class saw the 2 players who finished first and third in the points race the class for the year, fight their way to the hot seat match. Mike Davie and Ada Lio played a hard fought match but Mike came out on top 5-2. Ada then battled back by beating Amy Yu Yue on the one loss side to return to her second D+/D finals. But Mike could not be stopped and he beat Ada 5-2 again sending Ada home in second place for the second year in a row. Although Mike has been playing on the tour for a decade and has multiple Player of the year awards to his credit, he has never won a Tri-State tour tournament and so with this win Mike crowns his year on the tour with a major accomplishment.
On Sunday, play started again at 11 AM with the A+/A players and the C+ class and C class arriving to do battle. As the day progressed each event was dominated by one player, Raphael Dabreo in the A’s, Rene Villalobos in the C+’s and Umit Yolcu in the C’s. And all three would win their respective classes. In the A+/A class Raphael beat Geoffrey Bauer 7-5 sending Geoffrey to the one loss side and a match with home room favorite Scott Simonetti. But breaking strong and playing very strong Geoffrey came out on top against Scott at 7-5 and returned to the finals against Raphael. In one of the best matches of the entire event both players played exceptionally well with the lead going back and forth. Taking the match to hill/hill both players had opportunities in the final game but an unfortunate scratch late in the game by Geoffrey left Raphael with an out and the win. In the C+ class Rene dominated all the way thru winning the hot seat match against Keith Diaz 6-4. After losing to Rene in his second match of the day Robert Veit fought back on the one loss side to get to the finals only to lose again to Rene but this time at the score of 6-2. In the C class the scenario from the C+ class just about mirrored what was happening in the C Class. Umit Yolcu went undefeated beating Dave Danchak in the hot seat match 6-3 and then Ray Marisette in the finals 6-3. Ray just like Robert had lost his second match of the day and fought back to get to the finals.
This left our 6 class champions to do battle for the Grand Champion title. Rene Villalobos beat Umit Yolco 6-4 to win the C+/C playoff. Rene then went on to beat Mike Davie in the C/D class playoff winning on the hill 7-6. John Trobiano after working the kitchen and room all day beat Mike Zimny on the hill in the B+/B class playoff and then went on to Raphael DaBreo 7-4 in the A/B class playoff. This left the event with two players still standing; Rene Villalobos and John Trobiano. John feeling very relaxed event though working very hard over the weekend played extremely confidently and precise and won the final match of the event 7-4. This is John’s second win as Tri-State Tour Invitational Grand Champion. His first win was back in 2010.
The clock worked against players on the Tri-State Tour again on Saturday, August 25, when a field of 40 signed on for the $750-added, A-D handicapped event at Port Richmond Billiards Club on Staten Island, NY. Robert Veit chalked up his first victory on the tour, and his last victory in the event, by getting into the hot seat. Later, he opted to split the top two prizes with Tony Ignomirello, who had already split the second and third place prize with Gary Murgia, when the semifinals didn’t happen, either.
Following victories over James Stern, Mike Davie, Luis Jimenez and Antonio Navarro, Veit advanced among the winners’ side final four and met up with Ben Castaneros, who’d just sent Ignomirello to the loss side. Murgia, in the meantime, squared off against Geoff Bauer. Murgia and Veit got into the hot seat battle, once Murgia had sent Bauer west 7-3, and Veit dispatched Castaneros 6-2. In what proved to be the last match for both of them, Veit sent Murgia to the semifinals 7-6.
Ignomirello got back to work on the loss side with a 6-3 victory over Keith Diaz, and followed that up with a 7-3 win over Thomas Rice, which set him up for a re-match against Castaneros. Bauer drew Bryan Jeziorski, who’d defeated Keith Adamik and Abdullah Howard, both 7-3, to reach him. Jeziorski advanced to the quarterfinals with a 7-3 win over Bauer, and was met by Ignomirello, who wreaked his vengeance on Castaneros 7-2.
The last match of the night saw Ignomirello survive a double hill battle versus Jeziorski. Ignomirello and Murgia then opted out of the semifinals, and shortly thereafter, Ignomirello and Veit exercised the same option in regards to the finals. Prizes were split, and as the hot seat occupant, Veit took possession of the event title.
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Port Richmond Billiard Club, as well as sponsors Sterling-Gaming, Ozone Billiards, Poison Cues, Ron Tarr Cues, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, and Human Kinetics. Next up for the Tri-State Tour is their annual collaboration with the Mezz Pro-Am and Predator Tours, for the second annual George “Ginky” Sansouci Memorial Tournament, set for September 1-3 at Amsterdam Billiards in New York City. The next regularly scheduled stop on the Tri-State Tour is a $500-added, A-D handicapped event, scheduled for September 8, at Castle Billiards in East Rutherford, NJ.
